This invention relates to polymer systems for releasing scented compositions.
Various polymer systems for releasing scented compositions, e.g., for use in fragrance samplers, have been proposed. For example, highly crosslinked gels (e.g., as described in Szycher et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,880,690) have been used for this purpose. Such gels retain their shape under ambient conditions, and are adequate for certain scented compositions consisting of a single component. Often, however, the scented composition contains multiple components having different molecular sizes and volatilities that act together to give rise to the perceived scent. In the case of such multi-component scented compositions, it is important that all of the components be released in a manner that faithfully reproduces the native scent. Such release characteristics, however, are not realized with highly crosslinked gels, which trap some components within the polymer matrix, while releasing others.